be you.

Groundbreaking study on transgender discrimination released at Creating Change

February 4, 2011

NCTE's Justin Tanis presents the results of the survey.

This morning at Creating Change, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) released a comprehensive new report, “Injustice at Every Turn,” revealing the depth of discrimination against transgender and gender non-conforming people in a wide range of areas, including education, health care, employment, and housing. The study, based on the results from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey (NTDS), was based on responses from over 6,450 participants.

It is the first large-scale national study of discrimination against transgender and gender non-conforming Americans, and paints a more complete picture than any prior research to date.

National Center for Transgender Equality Executive Director Mara Kiesling and Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey spoke about the importance of this groundbreaking report. The authors of the report: Jamie Grant, former Policy Institute Director at the Task Force, Justin Tanis, community education and outreach manager, communication at the National Center for Transgender Equality and Lisa Mottet, Transgender Civil Rights Project director at the Task Force, reviewed the methodology and presented the results of the survey.

Including these key findings:

Respondents were nearly four times more likely to live in extreme poverty, with household income of less than $10,000.

Respondents were twice as likely to be unemployed compared to the population as a whole.

Half of those surveyed reported experiencing harassment or other mistreatment in the workplace, and one in four were fired because of their gender identity or expression.

While discrimination was pervasive for the entire sample, it was particularly pronounced for people of color. African-American transgender respondents fared far worse than all others in many areas studied.

Housing discrimination was also common. 19% reported being refused a home or apartment and 11% reported being evicted because of their gender identity or expression.

One in five respondents experienced homelessness because of their gender identity or expression.

An astonishing 41% of respondents reported attempting suicide, compared to only 1.6% of the general population.

Discrimination in health care and poor health outcomes were frequently experienced by respondents. 19% reported being refused care due to bias against transgender or gender-nonconforming people, with this figure even higher for respondents of color. Respondents also had over four times the national average of HIV infection.

Harassment by law enforcement was reported by 22% of respondents and nearly half were uncomfortable seeking police assistance.

Despite the hardships they often face, transgender and gender non-conforming persons persevere. Over 78% reported feeling more comfortable at work and their performance improving after transitioning, despite the same levels of harassment in the workplace.

Ja'briel Walthour, a 34-year-old African-American transgender woman who lives and works outside of Savannah, GA told her story of resilience.

Michelle Enfield, a Native American transgender woman who lives and works in Los Angeles, CA told her story.

Shane Morgan, founder and chair of TransOhio and an Ohio resident for 13 years told his story of health care discrimination.